1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a cleaning method, a cleaning apparatus, and a liquid ejecting apparatus.
2. Related Art
Heretofore, as one type of a liquid ejecting apparatus which ejects liquid onto a recording medium, an ink jet type printer has been widely known. The printer performs recording on the recording medium by ejecting ink (liquid) from nozzle openings formed in a liquid ejecting head.
The printer performs so-called cleaning in which in a state where a closed space area is formed by bringing a bottomed box-shaped cap into contact with the liquid ejecting head so as to surround the nozzle openings which eject ink, suction is performed on the closed space area by a suction section, in order to reduce poor discharge of ink.
Incidentally, when removing the cap from the liquid ejecting head at the time of the end of ink suction in the cleaning, it is necessary to return the negative pressure state of the closed space area to an atmospheric pressure state. However, in naturally returning the negative pressure state of the closed space area to the atmospheric pressure state, since ink continues to be suctioned by the negative pressure of the closed space area for a relatively long time, there is concern that ink may be wastefully consumed in the cleaning. Therefore, a printer described in JP-A-2006-312262 has been proposed.
In the printer of JP-A-2006-312262, an air communication tube which allows the air to flow into a cap and an air communication valve capable of opening and closing the air communication tube are provided. Then, at the time of the end of ink suction in cleaning, the air communication valve is opened, thereby allowing the air to actively flow into a closed space area, whereby the negative pressure state of the closed space area is subjected to a rapid pressure change until it turns to an atmospheric pressure state.
However, if the negative pressure state of the closed space area is subjected to a rapid pressure change until it turns to the atmospheric pressure state, a pressing force is applied from the nozzle opening toward the inside of the liquid ejecting head by the air rapidly flowed into the closed space area. Therefore, the air in the closed space area is drawn into a normal nozzle or a nozzle with air bubbles removed, so that there is concern that breaking of a meniscus of ink in the nozzle may occur.